My story on how I survived depression and anxiety-maybe this could help someone....

Hey you all,

This is my story on how I survived and was healed from terrifying anxiety, fears and depression. I was so scared of using antidepressants, because I feared the side-effects, I didn't use them, so I searched everywhere (books, internet...) for natural remedies for the hell I was living through. I decided to not give up until I had tried everything, and in a time frame of a few months, these "natural remedies" really did help.

Here's a list of the stuff I used to get better, I'm postin this here, because maybe if someone will get any kind of help or relief from the same stuff I did.

-St. John's Wort and Noni. St. John's has been a "miracle" for some who have given up hope, so it's really worth a try, a friend of mine's depression went away with St. John's, even when none of the usual antidepressants worked or the side-effects were intolerable. Noni has also a good reputation for helping with awful depression, so that's a good remedy, too. I personally didn't use noni, just st. john's, but have later stumbled across literature and stories of noni helping with depression. Other herbal remedies I used were valerian root (for the terrible insomnia I had and for calming me with anxiety and fears) and passion flower extract (for relaxing and for anxiety)

-Omega 3-oils, like flaxseed oil and fish oil (E-EPA). In Great Britain E-EPA is even promoted by the psychiatric association, there's a lot of really good studies done with it, it's helpful even with schizophrenia. Both flaxseed oil and E-EPA fish oil are really good.

-Bach flower remedies. I love these remedies, I was so relieved to find them; there are 38 different flower essences for all kinds of problems, like depression, fears, anxiety, hatred and so on. They are really easy to use; just put 2 drops of each flower remedy (you can use up to 5 flower remedies the same time) to a glass of water and take a few sips throughout the day and continue for a month or two. Cherry plum is good, when you feel your mind giving away, of doing something dreadful, fear of going crazy and losing your mind, mustard is good for deep, dark depression, star of betlehem is good for coping with trauma, healing after something really awful has happened, after traumatic experiences.

-Diet played a huge role; I gave up all "whites", meaning white sugar and wheat. I ate brown rice, fish, wholewheat bread, lots of nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables. I gave up dairy, because I felt it messed up with my digestion, but I still like yogurt and cheese, so no need to give up your favourite foods! I made fruit salads and had dark chocolate everyday (that's actually really good for your brain, and it was for me an instant "pick-me-up")

-vitamins and minerals; zinc, manganese and dolomite is what I used, and they are also promoted by orthomolecular medicine, in which mental illnesses are treated with vitamins, mineral and herbal remedies in conjunction with psychotherapy etc. It's worth checking out, and I think zinc did miracles for me; I felt like my whole nervous system was strenghened and I more stable. Schizophrenic patients have also been found to have very low levels of zinc, so zinc is one of the main vitamins used in orthomolecular medicine to treat mental illnesses.

-Birth control pills. I ended up reading lots of horror stories of how the pill sometimes caused panic attacks and depression, unrest sleep, bad dreams, even insomnia. So if you are on the pill, it can be worth even just checking out whether it could be the pill causing you to feel so horrible.

-Reflexology and acupuncture; I had reflexology (by a very good reflexologist who had treated patients with severe depression and anxiety before) for about 8 months, and it strenghened my nervous system and helped the terrifying anxiety and fears I had. If you want to try reflexology, please find someone who has experience in treating depression and anxiety.

-Music and writing. I listened a lot of music, it helped me sometimes to get in touch with your innermost feelings, when otherwise I just wasn't able to feel anything. I also wrote a lot. Art and painting is also very healing for some people.

-Listening to my heart; I gave up forcing myself to do things I didn't want and going after things I didn't really want. I was able to allow myself to do things I loved and enjoyed and do things I felt were "me". I realized I have a path for just me, we all have our own paths, things that make us happy and that are right for us, what's right and feels good for you isn't necessarily for someone else and vica versa, allowing myself and others to follow their path in life, this was such a relieving realization! I released myself of a situation I felt I had to suppress my most real and deep feelings, and couldn't be myself.
-releasing

-I did try aromatherapy as well; neroli oil worked well for myself, it calmed and eased my pain and anxiety. It was a good help for feeling even a little bit better quicker. So aromatherapy was a help for me, too

-Trying to find meaning in my suffering, wanting to get out of just wanting and getting everything for myself, and instead reaching out to others and finding out how I could be of use to all of people and in what way I could help and ease the suffering of others, and I just started with little things, like giving out money, food and water to the homeless on the street, not judging, but being understanding to friends, family. Forgiving and apologizing to those I had hurt. Admitting my mistakes and forgiving those who had hurt me, because we are all human and make mistakes.

-Taking walks in nature. I couldn't do the sort of exercise I didn't like, so I tried to take a walk everyday. We all like some exercise, do what you really like, whether it's baskeball, soccer, rollerskating, running, anything!

-Praying and asking for prayer help, I do believe God helped me so much.

I wish you all the very best and hope you can overcome and survive depression and anxiety, it is a really terrifying thing, I honestly can say I went through hell when I had depression and anxiety, it's the darkest place I have ever been to, but I am ok now, and have found peace in my life and am able to enjoy things again.

The Following User Says Thank You to rebekahgirl For This Useful Post:Feejee (10-24-2011)